Nanorobotics is concerned with (i) programmable assembly of nm-scale components either by manipulation with macro or micro devices, or by directed self-assembly, (ii) design and fabrication of robots with overall dimensions at or below the mm range and made of nm-scale components, and (iii) programming and coordination of large numbers (swarms) of such nanorobots. This talk touches upon USC’s Laboratory for Molecular Robotics contributions to these three aspects of nanorobotics. Specifically, it presents new results on automatic nanomanipulation with Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs), sensors and actuators at the nanoscale, and robotic self-assembly.

Biographical Information

Aristides A. G. Requicha is the Gordon Marshall Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California, where he also directs the Laboratory for Molecular Robotics. He received the Engenheiro Electrotécnico degree from the Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal, in 1962, and the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1970. He was a college and high school Valedictorian, and is a Fellow of the IEEE. Dr. Requicha has authored some 150 scientific papers, and has served in numerous conference program committees and journal editorial boards. His past research focused on geometric modeling of 3-D solid objects and spatial reasoning for intelligent engineering systems. Currently he is working on robotic manipulation of nanometer-scale objects using scanning probe microscopes; nanorobot components and nanorobotic system integration; fabrication of nanostructures by robotic self-assembly; sensor/actuator networks; and applications in NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) and nanobiotechnology. The long-term goals are to build, program, and deploy nanorobots and networks of nanoscale sensors/actuators for applications to the environment and health care.